Article holders



1961 J. COWAN ET AL 2,997,352

ARTICLE HOLDERS Filed Aug. 22, 1960 INVENTORS Jack Cowan Leon CowanATTORNEY 2,997,352 ARTICLE HOLDERS Jack Cowan and Leon J. Cowan,Bulfalo, N .Y., assignors to Irving Cowan, Kendall, Fla. Filed Aug. 22,1960, Ser. No. 50,944 12 Claims. (Cl. 312207) This invention relates toarticle holders and, more particularly, to a sanitary toothbrush holderof novel construction and arranged to keep the brush part of atoothbrush fully enclosed and protected except for a small air openingaround the handle.

Various types and forms of holders have been proposed and used inpractice, most of these being of the open type in which the toothbrushor other article is fully enclosed. From time to time proposals havebeen advanced for toothbrushes, or the like for a closed holder in whichat least the brush part of the toothbrush is substantially fullyenclosed. All such holders have in common a support base or the likeformed with a slot or aperture large enough to receive the toothbrushhandle but small enough to prevent passage of the brush part. Theholders suspend the toothbrush with its handle dependingly projectingbelow the support base.

In the closed type of holders heretofore proposed, a housing has beensecured to the base and has either an open front or one provided with adoor or doors. Difficulty has ben experienced in providing closures forthe portions of the slots not occupied by the brush handles and forreadily opening the slot closures for insertion and removal of brushesrelative to the slots. Such provisions as have been made have beencomplicated and diflicult to manipulate and not capable of operation bythe simple, manual act of inserting or removing a toothbrush. It hasbeen found, in practice, that persons, and particularly children, willnot readily use a closed holder which is not extremely simple tooperate.

The present invention solves these difliculties by providing a closedtoothbrush holder in which the slot is opened to receive a toothbrushhandle by merely pressing the toothbrush toward the open end of the slotand against a pivoted door. As the door pivots under the pressure of thebrush, it cams open a first relatively large plate pivoted on the baseand normally spring biased to a position closing the outer portion ofthe slot.

A second and somewhat smaller closure plate for the rear end of the slothas a pivotal and slidable connection with the pivot of the first plate,and is spring biased to a position closing the rear end of the slot.This second plate overlies the first plate and has a pin engaging ashoulder on the first plate so that the second plate is swung open alongwith the first plate. The pivot end of the second plate is cam shapedand is spring biased to engage a roller on the support base to controlmovement of the second plate.

In using the holder, pressure of a brush handle against the door swingsthe latter open to cam the first plate to a fully open position and thesecond plate to at least a partially open position. As the handle passesthe free edge of the door, it engages the second plate and moves it toopen the rear end of the slot. The second plate is then spring biasedagainst the brush holder, holding the brush suspended in air, and thereleased first plate earns the door closed.

To remove the brush, the handle is moved outwardly along the slot,successively camming open the second and first plates, and then engagingthe free edge of the door to open the latter. Preferably, a pair ofslots are arranged in mirror relation, with the closure plates mirrorcopies of each other. A single door is provided and is centrally pivotedbetween the slots. Thus, as the Patented Aug. 22, 1961 brush in one slotis being removed and swings the door open, the door is cammed closed bythe spring biased first closure plate of the other slot.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made tothe following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustratedin the accompanying drawing. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a holder embodying the invention;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are plan views of the base, with the door in section,showing the sequence of movement of the parts in inserting and removinga brush;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line '55 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a plan View, partly in section, illustrating the detail of acomponent of the holder.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view on a reduced scale taken through line 77 ofFIG. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the holder comprises a base 10, preferably ofmetal, and a preferably integral or unitary housing 15 which may bemolded of a suitable plastic composition material. Alternatively,housing 15 may comprise components cemented into an integral unit. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the holder is arranged to support four (4)toothbrushes, and housing 15 includes end walls 16, a central partition17, a top wall 18, and a rear wall. I

Base 10 is secured to housing 15 by countersunk fiat head studs 11inserted through apertures in the base and threaded into openings in therelatively thick end walls 16 and partition 17. The front edge of therelatively thick top wall is formed with downwardly opening circularrecesses 12, 12 midway between each end wall and the central partition.Recesses 12, 12 are substantially coaxial with circular apertures 13, 13in base 10. Rear wall 19 may be suitably formed for mounting against asupport surface, and to support a container 65 filled with a sanitizing,deodorizing, or tooth decay combating solution.

In the illustrated 4-brush holder, there are two identical base plates10 each having the same slot closing mechanism, so that only one base 10will be described in detail. Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, each baseplate 161 is formed with a pair of laterally spaced, outwardly openingslots 20, each somewhat nearer to an end wall 16 than to partition 17.Slots 20 are arranged in mirror relation. Each slot 20 extends inwardlysubstantially perpendicular to the front edge of the base and terminatesin a dog-leg inner end 21. Between slots 21 the upper surface of base 10is machined away to about one-half the original overall thickness of thebase plate, forming a rear ledge 22 having circular forwardly openingrecesses 23. The outer edge of each slot 20 is similarly machined toform lips 24. Adjacent dog legs 21, the inner edges of lips 24 have apolygonal configuration as at 26. The machining of base 10 also forms afront ledge 27 through which the aperture 13 is formed.

Apertures 12 and 13 receive the ends of pivot pins 28 of doors 30. Eachdoor is preferably molded of a suitable plastic composition material andhas a width equal to the distance between end walls 16 and partition 17.Door 30 has a vertically extending apertured ridge 31 on its innersurface receiving the pivot pin 28. Thin wings 32 extend inwardly fromthe lower edge of door 30 on either side of ridge 31. Each wing has acurved outer edge 33 and a cam shaped inner edge 34.

Adjacent the inner side of each dog leg 21, the thinned intermediateportion of the base is formed with a small aperture receiving the lowerend of a pin 35 having an enlarged circular shoulder 36 intermediate itsends and seating against the upper surface of the base. Each,

shoulder 36 has a conforming fit in a circular aperture in a front orouter closure plate 40 for slot 20.

Each closure plate 40 is generally rectangular and has a rectilinearouter edge 41 engaging the outer edge defining a lip 24 of a slot 20,the closure plate overlying lip 24 in its slot closing position. Thesurface of the outer end 42 of plate 40 is substantially flush with theupper surface of base 10. Along the inner side of this thicker outerend, there is a Wedge shape projection 43 from which extends a short pin44 engaged with cam surface 34 of a Wing 32 of door 30. The outer end ofplate 4b is curved as at 46. Inwardly of the inner end of projection 44,plate 40 has substantially one-half the thickness of its outer end 42,as illustrated at 45. For a purpose to be described, the nose orprojection 43 is slotted as at 48. An ear 47 extends from the inner endof the inner edge of plate 40 and is apertured to receive the pin 35.Ear 47 has a shoulder 49 projecting there from.

An inner closure plate 50 partly overlies inner end 45 of plate 40, andis dogleg in plan. The outer edge of plate 50 overlies lip 26 of slotand has a shape generally conforming to the outer edge of this lip,although generally curvilinear. The inner end of plate 50 hasa slot 51receiving pivot pin 35.

The upper ends of pivot pins 35 engage in circular recesses in the endsof a cross bar 55 preferably of plastic composition material. The endsof bar 55 are slotted to seat a wire spring having coils embracing pinsand free ends engaged with pins 52 on the upper surfaces of plates 50.Pins 53 on the lower surfaces of plates 50 engage shoulders 49 so thatplates 50 are carried toward the open position when plates are opened.However, slots 51 permit movement of plates along the slot and relativeto plates 40.

Bar 55 is positioned on pins 35 so that its central portion is spacedfrom base 10. Beneath the bar, there is a pair of pins 56 around whichextends a somewhat U-shape wire spring 60 having its ends engaged inslots 48 of projections 43 of plates 40. Bar 55 is secured to plate 10by a countersunk flathead stud 57. The cam edges of plates 50 bearagainst rollers 58 seated in recesses 23 and rotatable on studs 5?threaded into base 10.

To insert a toothbrush, the latter is pressed against an edge of door30, pivoting this edge inwardly. Cam edge 34-, through pin 44, movesplate 40 away from slot 20 against the bias of spring 60, so that thetoothbrush handle may enter slot 20. Through shoulder 49 and pin 53,plate 50 is also moved away from the slot 20. As the handle fully entersslot 20, it rides along edge 41 of plate 40 and then along the outeredge of plate 50 to enter dogleg 21. Movement of plate 55) is controlledby its curvilinear edge engaging roller 5%. The plate 40, and then theplate 50, are spring biased back toward the slot closing position as thebrush handle clears these plates. Plate 40, through pin 44 acting on camedge 34, closes door 30. The toothbrush is suspended With its handlesupported on plate 50 and base 10, and with slot 20 substantially fullyclosed.

To remove the brush, the handle is grasped and moved outwardly alongslot 20. This cams plate 56 to the open position, due to the play ofpin-slot. connection 35-51. Further movement of the handle cams openplate 40. The door 3% is then swung open by the toothbrush and, when thelatter clears this door, the spring-biased plate 4% of the mating ormirroring adjacent slot 20. The pin-slot connection 35-51 permits plate50 to adjust to different handle thicknesses Without being affected bymovement of plate 40 while spring biased against a brush handle.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventionprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles. It is also to beunderstood that the embodiment of the invention may be employed forarticles other than toothbrushes, such as smoking pipes, paint brushesand articles of a nature which could be dispensed and protected 'bybeing substantially enclosed.

What is claimed is:

l. A closed sanitary holder for an article comprising in combination, asubstantially flat base plate formed with a slot extending inwardly fromits front edge and having a closed rear end; a housing having top, endand rear Walls secured to said plate; a door pivoted in said top walland said base and normally closing the front of said housing; a firstslot closure plate pivoted to said base adjacent the rear end of saidslot and normally closing the outer portion of said slot; a second slotclosure plate pivoted to said base adjacent the rear end of said slotand normally closing the inner portion of said slot; means biasing saidplates to the slot closing position; cam means on said door engaging aprojection on said first plate and effective to cam the latter to a slotopening position as said door is swung open by pressing said articlethereagainst to enter said slot; and interengaging means on said firstand second plates effective to move said second plate toward the slotopening position responsive to slot uncovering movement of said firstplate; said plates having camming edges engageable by said article toearn the plates to the slot opening posi tion.

2. A closed sanitary holder for toothbrushes and the like comprising, incombination, a substantially flat base plate formed with a slotextending inwardly from its front edge and having a closed rear end; ahousing having top, end and rear Walls secured to said plate; a doorpivoted in said top wall and said base and normally closing the front ofsaid housing; a first slot closure plate pivoted to said base adjacentthe rear end of said slot and normally closing the outer portion of saidslot; a second slot closure plate pivoted to said base adjacent the rearend of said slot and normally closing the inner portion of said saidslot; means biasing said plates to the slot closing position; cam meanson said door engaging a projection on said first plate and effective toearn the latter to a slot opening position as said door is swung open bypressing a toothbrush thereagainst to enter said slot; and interengagingmeans on said first and second plates effective to move said secondplate toward the slot opening position responsive to slot uncoveringmovement of said first plate; said plates having carnrning edgesengageable by the brush handle to cam the plates to the slot openingposition; and said second plate having a pin and slot connection to saidbase to accommodate dilferent thicknesses of brush handles.

3. A closed sanitary holder for toothbrushes and the like comprising, incombination, a substantially flat base plate formed with a slotextending inwardly from its front edge and having a closed rear end; ahousing having top, end and rear walls secured to said plate; a doorpivoted in said top wall and said base and normally closing the front ofsaid housing; a first slot closure plate pivoted to said base adjacentthe rear end of said slot and normally closing the outer portion of saidslot; a second slot closure plate pivoted to said base adjacent the rearend of said slot and normally closing the inner portion of said slot;means biasing said plates to the slot closing position; cam means onsaid door engaging a projection on said first plate and effective to camthe latter to a slot opening position as said door is swung open bypressing a toothbrush thereagainst to enter said slot; and interengagingmeans on said first and second plates effective to move said secondplate toward the slot opening position responsive to slot uncoveringmovement of said first plate; said plates having camming edgesengageable by the brush handle to cam the plates to the slot openingposition; said first plate having a convex end edge facing the outer endof said slot.

4. A holder as claimed in claim 1 in which said slot has a dogleg innerend and said second plate is substantially conformingly dogleg in plan.

5. A holder as claimed in claim 4 in which said first plate includes apivot ear laterally offset from said slot, and extends along the majorlength of said slot; said second plate being substantially shorter thansaid first plate.

6. A closed sanitary holder for toothrbrushes and the like comprising,in combination, a substantially flat base plate formed with a slotextending inwardly from its front edge and having a closed rear end; ahousing having top, end and rear walls secured to said plate; a doorpivoted in said top wall and said base and normally closing the front ofsaid housing; a first slot closure plate pivoted to said base adjacentthe rear end of said slot and normally closing the outer portion of saidslot; a second slot closure plate pivoted to said base coaxially withand superposed with said first plate; means biasing said plates to theslot closing position; cam means on said door engaging a projection onsaid first plate and eifective to cam the latter to a slot openingposition as said door is swung open by pressing a toothbrushthereagainst to enter said slot; and interengaging means on said firstand second plates eifective to move said second plate toward the slotopening position responsive to slot uncovering movement of said firstplate; said plates having camming edges engageable by the brush handleto cam the plates to the slot opening position.

7. A holder as claimed in claim 6 in which the portion of said baselaterally inwardly of said slot is substantially one-half the thicknessof the edge portion of said base; said plates being movable over suchthinner base pontion; the outer end of said first plate having its uppersurface flush with that of said base; the inner end of said first gaginga projecting shoulder on said first plate.

10. A holder as claimed in claim 6 in which the means biasing said firstplate comprises a spring wire anchored to said base and having a freeend engaged in a horizontal slot in an edge of said first plate.

11. A holder as claimed in claim 6 in which said plate is formed with apair of laterally spaced slots extending inwardly from its front edgeand having closed rear ends, and which are, in plan, mirror copies ofeach other; said slots being laterally spaced and provided with mirrorfirst and second closing plates; said door being pivotally mountedmidway of said slots on a pivotal axis extending vertically of said doormidway of its free ends.

12. A holder as claimed in claim 6 including a roller rotatable on saidbase and engaging a curvilinear edge of said second plate to controlopening movement of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,544,694 Speidel July 7, 1925 2,309,116 [Hylen Ian. 26, 1943 2,600,345Venditti June 10, 1952

